Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Over the hearth with my 'minishing eyes I muse; until afterthe last coal dies.Every tunnel of the mouse,every channel of the cricket,I have smelt,I have feltthe secret shifting of the mouldered rafter,and heardevery bird in the thicket.I seeyouNightingale up in the tree!I, born of a race of strange things,of deserts, great temples, great kings,in the hot sands where the nightingale never sings!

Yesterday was a very sad day around our house...We had to say farewell to our old black cat, Magic....Magic was somewhat of an enigma. He adored my husband but merely tolerated the rest of us but we loved him in spite of this. We adopted him from Petsmart when he was two or three years old. A stray scraggly little lethargic thing he was but he sprang to life with vigor when we brought him home and attended to him. We had many years with him and he was nearing 14 or so but steadily spiraling downward...It's so hard to see your pets in this state...The above poem by Ford Madox Brown epitomizes how Magic would've been most happy....He was a house cat though and was rarely able to venture outdoors to enjoy such antics( we live in a downtown area near a very busy street) but he would watch by the window as the birds would taunt and tease him. He was so desperate to get through the glass window to pounce...My favorite memory of him was to see how his whiskers fluttered rapidly and twitched with fervor as the autumn leaves from the back maple tree fell to the ground in a rhythmic dance. He was most funny to watch during this little "Leaf Ritual."...He will be missed and the house is strangely empty without him but he is at peace now and no longer ailing so that gives us great comfort...And, I can't help but think he's in heaven chasing birds, leaves, squirrels and butterflies to very little avail...

Makes me cry. I'm SO SORRY Rebecca!Loosing an beloved pet is one of the very worst things. Can't say anything except I'll be thinking of you. Please know how sorry I am for your family, Lizzie and Shadow.

So sorry to hear of your loss. A cat is just as much a member of a household as everyone else.We recently lost one of our two farm (and family) dogs,and, although we have 3 generations living in two houses her, it left a tangible hole in the place. A very beautiful photo and tribute to your beloved Magic.